A murder mystery at Christmas and a fun festive read.
When Anna wakes up Christmas Eve and discovers the dead body of her boss in the larder, mayhem ensues.
With the police being uninterested, Anna decides to solve the mystery and find the murderer all before In laws arrival on Christmas Day.
Cue fun escapades, revelations and a mad rush to get ready for Christmas.

A fun, enjoyable read, believable characters and plenty of laughs, I can highly recommend this Christmas whodunnit. and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday read that combines humour, chaos, and a pinch of mystery, look no further than "Happy Bloody Christmas" by Jo Middleton. I completely devoured this book, and let me tell you, it was one of the most enjoyable and hilarious experiences I’ve had this festive season!
From the get-go, I was a fan of Anna Johnson’s whirlwind life. Anna’s struggles only escalate when a mysterious death disrupts her already hectic holiday plans. Finding a dead Santa in her larder is the last thing she needs, especially with her disapproving in-laws on the way. The sheer absurdity of the situation had me laughing out loud—Anna’s witty internal monologue and her frantic attempts to juggle sleuthing with holiday preparations had me invested and rooting for her from page one.
The absurdity escalates as Anna begins her investigation into the death of her less-than-beloved boss, Colin. With the police's lacklustre response to the investigation, Anna, her husband Oli, their tech-savvy son Ben, and her charmingly quirky friend Jennie dive into the mystery themselves. I loved how their investigation intertwined seamlessly with holiday chores.
Middleton crafts a wonderfully relatable and humorous narrative. I found myself frequently cracking up at Anna’s thoughts on the absurdities of motherhood and holiday stress, especially in her interactions with the never-ending stream of family obligations. Plus, the characters are delightful and full of personality. Jennie’s “murder board” idea mixed with Pokémon characters had me grinning, and I couldn’t help but admire Anna’s determination to keep her home running smoothly, even as everything spiralled into chaos.
Middleton's sharp wit and snarky observations bring a fresh twist to the cosy mystery genre, making this story more than just a simple whodunit. I felt like I was experiencing the ups and downs of holiday madness right alongside Anna. And just when I thought I had it all figured out, there were twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
The cherry on top comes with the clever epilogue that hints at more sleuthing to come, which left me eagerly wanting a sequel. Anna’s adventures, while chaotic, resonate with anyone who’s ever survived the holiday season with a sense of humour intact.
In short, "Happy Bloody Christmas" is an absolute joy to read, a perfect blend of humour, heart, and a little holiday sleuthing. Grab a glass of your favourite drink, cosy up, and prepare for a delightful escape into Anna's world—it’s the kind of festive distraction we all need!

The morning after the Christmas house party, you come downstairs to find the body of your boss stabbed in your larder. The list of potential murderers is the guest list, family and friends.
Not having faith in the police and the in laws arriving the next day for Christmas.
Setting out to find out who killed her slimy obnoxious boss.
Best friend, husband and teenage son set out to eliminate suspects.
Full of humour and family life.

I hate to be the first one (maybe I’ll remain the only one) to rate this as a 3 star book, however, hear me out.
Anna holds a Christmas party at home, and on the day before the Christmas Eve, she discovers…
Jo Middleton’s writing’s extraordinary. What do I mean by that? She gives Anna a first POV that is authentic, hilarious and engaging. I was gripped from the get-go, and finished this book mostly for Anna’s voice, Middleton’s high quality writing and the other characters’ voices.
I enjoyed the premise, the setting, the modern and relatable vibes, as well as most of the characters.
This is a fun whodunnit for whodunnit lovers.
Now, why the 3 stars and not higher? Because of how it gripped me, I thought this was going to be a nearly flawless read. But, I was not buying Jennie’s reactions and the ‘let’s solve the murder mystery on our own’ premise and I kept wanting to see an element that justified the absurdity, the unbelievability - for the hilariousness - believability balance to work for me, I needed this to be shorter, and a back story, a slightly different story world where the absurd incidents happen because everything else is so absurd as well. I liked the sense of the family and the sub themes, and found the satirical elements to be very well done. The satire or the subtle criticisms and relatability made me question why the characters are doing what they are doing.
Yet, please ignore the above. I find it a duty to express my genuine thoughts about a read, especially for those who might think similarly. To sum up, this is a wonderful read for those who are looking for a festive-themed, relatable, modern and funny whodunnit.
3.5 stars.

I absolutely loved it such a fun Christmas read I read it in one sitting,
I laughed, I cried, the character were amazing!
The characters were so well written it was a great read

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Such a fun, festive read. You wouldn’t really think of a whodunnit being a good seasonal subject, but this author has nailed it.
Great plot, well written characters, just enough quirks throughout to be funny rather than eccentric.
Highly recommend!

It's Christmas Eve and Anna Johnson has a whole list of tasks and chores to get through before her in laws descend on her for Christmas Day. She is battling a hangover from her annual Christmas house party the night before, and trying to work out how she can involve her husband and two kids in the preparations to help. There are several tasks the children can help with, but one of them is definitely NOT the removal of the dead body dressed as Father Christmas in the larder. Anna wants Christmas to be perfect, and also to find out who on earth could have killed Santa, with one of Annas best kitchen knives, when, and why.
An entertaining read, this was a fun whodunnit with some laugh out loud moments. I loved it and would thoroughly recommend it.

I actually thought this was a very well written whodunnit with a few laughs along the way and lots of witty one liners.

Anna wakes up on Christmas Eve morning with a bit of a hangover after the annual family party with a ‘to do’ list as long as her arm. But what she wasn’t expecting was to find a dead body in her larder which she desperately needs moving before her kids see it and it ruins her well planned Christmas!

Overlooking the incompetent police, I was hooked from the start of this relatable family story and chuckled more than a few times at Anna’s escapades as she becomes detective along with her decades long best friend. I nodded along with the little gems of Christmas nostalgia or the tidbits of observations that we must all go through at a busy festive time. Not only is this a nice ‘whodunnit’ that will have you scratching your head, but there is an underlying tale of the true meaning of family and self confidence which is heartwarming. Definitely one to recommend, especially for a Christmas read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book had me howling…

A dead Santa, a murder mystery and a Christmas get together… shouldn’t be funny but oh my!!

The characters and story were not what I expected but I loved every minute of this book!!!

It’s a fabulous, fun, and festive read with a comical twist you won’t want to put down!!!

Grab your Christmas pudding and get reading!!!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Publisher it’s a gem of a book!!

Loved this book! Light hearted and very tongue in cheek at times. All of the characters were believable and authentic- the storyline not so much!! Not your average festive read so don't expect sugar cookies and mince pies, there may be an odd marzipan fruit in there though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC

Hilarious and fun. A christmas murder-mystery that's sure to keep entertained! I read it so quickly and had a great time. Highly recommend

Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect from Happy Bloody Christmas, but this was actually hilarious and I loved every quirky minute of it

Happy Bloody Christmas is a festive novel by Jo Middleton.
I enjoyed this novel. It was easy to follow and had a good cast of characters and the pacing was just right. I couldn't put it down and finished it in two sittings. Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the day before Christmas Eve, the annual party with your friends and family is underway and everyone is in the festive spirit…. Until you wake up on Christmas Eve to find Santa Clause unalived in your larder. This is Anna’s start to the festive season… but who did it?

If you love a murder mystery, festive themes and laughing out loud, this one is for you.

Happy Bloody Christmas has everything you need, the Chaos of the festive season, hangovers and the small task of finding out who killed Santa Clause.

Thank you to @ NetGalley, @ jo Middleton and the @avon for my advanced copy. It’s safe to say I have preordered my physical copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Anna has thrown a pre-Christmas party which probably wasn't her best idea ever, because she wakes up with a stonking hangover and has only a day to prepare for husband Oli's parents to arrive to a sumptuous meal she hasn't begun to prepare yet. The presents haven't been wrapped, the tablescape isn't done yet and there, between the spelt flour and the Pop Tarts, is a dead Santa in her larder. Sorry, rewind, there is what?

It is so inconvenient when you have a Christmas to-do list as long as your arm and now have to add "solve Santa's murder", "buy a replacement Sabatier knife" and "remove bloodstains in grouting with toothpaste" onto your list!

Enraged by the police's general disinterest and bumbling incompetence when securing the crime scene, Anna and Oli begin to sleuthe themselves, supported by teenage son Ben and delighted BFF Jennie who, wine glass in hand, immediately starts creating a "murder board" like in Death in Paradise, but with Pokémon characters instead of photos of the suspects.

The dead man is Anna's boss Colin, and due to him being an awful human being, it seems there are as many motives to kill him as there were guests. Luckily, Ben is a tech whizz and accesses the Ring doorbell app and the cat tracker like a pro. But that is only the beginning.

Here we have a murder mystery in a strong domestic setting with Christmas preparations - people incorporate the sleuthing into housework like discussing theories while putting on a load of washing or unloading the dishwasher. It's very relatable - of course we want to find the murderer but there is still the downstairs loo to clean and the potatoes to be prepped!

The snarky and hilarious story is told brilliantly - characters are frequently more concerned about the Sabatier knife than the knifed or what the disapproving mother -in-law will say to all this.

This is incredibly entertaining, with a fun cast of characters and a funny cover. I read it in one go and frequently laughed myself silly, especially about the keen observations of an overworked wife and mother at Christmas who needs to find ways that all this isn't noticed by the precocious 7 year old daughter, which makes this more than just a light-hearted whodunnit.

The epilogue sends strong "there'll be a sleuthing sequel" vibes and I'm all here for it. But first, another bottle of crémant, please, as the mother-in-law has just uttered a rare compliment about the gravy!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were brilliant and the menopause issues highly relatable! A great read. Highly recommended.

I shouldn't like this book. It's not credible, it's annoying, and most of the characters are scatterbrained .... but I LOVED it.

It's funny, lighthearted, well, as lighthearted as you can get with a body in your pantry. With in the in-laws due the next day, not only has she a murder to solve, but she needs to ready herself for Christmas.

It was a really fun read that would be perfect to read over the Christmas season

A very funny mystery with an appealing amateur detective. Set at Christmas time. A woman finds a party guest dressed as Father Christmas stabbed to death in her larder. Overcoming numerous obstacles (including her mother-in-law) she solves the murder in time for a festive family Christmas. This could easily become a series

I really identify with the main character - not the murder bit but the debilitating hangover and Christmas panics. Read this in the hottest day of the year but it still made me shiver with the thought it Christmas and that work we have to do. But the story of a dead Santa made me roll over laughing. Brilliant book!

So Hugely Enjoyable!…
What a blast this is. Meet Anna, her family and friends. It’s Christmastime and Anna has thrown a party. Waking with a hangover on Christmas Eve, together with the party aftermath strewn throughout the house, may not be the best start to the day - but, it’s about to get much, much worse. With a very dead Santa in her precious larder, how on earth is Anna going to cope? As she draws upon her inner Poirot, Anna may well just find some answers. Hugely entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable lighthearted whodunnit with a keenly observed and credible cast of characters. Escapism at its finest.